Hover or brooder.



. L F. MAcKAY.

HOVER 0R BROODER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1?. I916. RENEWED JULY 19. 1917.

1,256,711, Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

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rr anon JOHN F. MACKAY, or nonnnnrown, new JERSEY.

ROVER OR BROODEB.

Application filed January 17,

To all whom it may concern: f

Be it known that I, JoHN F. MAoKAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bordentown, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hovers or Brooders. of which the following is a had therein to the accompanying drawing. 4

My invention refers to a hover device for use on poultry farms for covering and protecting the young chicks.

chicks or birds may partment free from drafts, and in a compartment which will be properly lighted so that the chicks will distribute themselves throughout the area dling together in the corners. The invention. therefore, comprises various details of combination and arrangement to the on that the best results may be attained with such a device, all substantially as will be hereinafter described and then more fully pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying ing my invention:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of my imdrawing illustratproved hover device for use in the raising of I ch ckens.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same with a portion broken away. 7 A I Similar characters of-reference designate corresponding parts throughout the difierent figures of the drawing.

In connection with my present improved broode-r, I find it convenient to employ gas resulting from the volatilization of kerosene,

gasolene, or some other hydrocarbon or other oil, the same being supplied through a pipe 4 which leads to a burner 5, the pipe being provided with a valve 6 to control the 'supply of oil. The burner 55, when the gas is ignited, gives forth a large amount of heat which is amply sufficient to warm the interior of the hover or hood 1, sufliciently to provide a chamber of proper temperature for takin care of the chicks. A gas burner of this kind is found to possess many advantages over a stove consuming wood and coal as fuel, or a lamp or oil heater, although with regard to certain features of the hover it is probable that they can be used incombination with other heaters than a gas burner, and consequently a rearrangement of the parts can easily Specification of Letters Patent.

in the county of Burlington The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the be kept in a warm comthereof without hud- 13 pivoted to a link 14: which through a tube 15 supported on the hover 1,

time is higher be made to. suit diflPatented Feb. 19, 19118.

. i 1916, sensin 72,442. Renewed July 19, 1917. Serial No. 181,663.

ferent conditions, but I stress upon the easy and simple application of a gas burner for this purpose, whic burner consumes the gas'resulting from the irtlomizing of kerosene, gasolene, and the The hover 1 is a conical hood having an opening 7 at the top which is closed at times by the conical cover 8, which forms the apex of the conical form of the hover or hood. This hood 1 is supported upon a horizontal platform 3, which is in turn supported on a cylindrical standard the burner and the pipe leading to the burner. The platform 3 is provided with an encircling flange 9 of greater or less size,

curtain, or may carry a curtain, and at one point adjacent to the flange 9 and beneath theplatform 3 1 suspend a thermometer 10 from the platform so as to indicate the'temperature beneath it. t

11, 11 denote draft tubes which are attached to the hood 1 near the upper end thereof and which lead downwardly through the interior of the space within into the space within the cylindrical standlay considerable the hood l 2 which surrounds which may, if desired, be in the form of a aid 2, and which carry outside air downwardly into the interior of cylinder 2 as shown by the arrows. There may. be any number ofthese draft tubes11, while in the present example of the invention, it have shown only a couple.

Also beneath the platform 3 is a thermostat 12 which in expanding operates a lever passes upward said rod 14 being attached to a lever 16, which carries the cover 8 at the top opening of the hood 1-, and is also provided with a counterbalancing weight 17. As the thermostat 12 expands, the rod 14 draws downwardly on the lever 16 and lifts the cover 8 0d the hood so that the hot air can pass out, it being evident that the temperature at this than it should be and that a certain amount of hot air should be disposed of. The tube 15 which is supported on the hover 1 is preferably arranged so as to carry the main frame 18 of the thermostat 12, said tube 15 being means of the set screw 19 which permits the parts 15 and 18 to be connected together or detached from each other. Moreover the tube 15 is connected to a frame 20 mounted on the top of the hood 1 and having. ears or fastened to the frame 18 by;

- permit access to the burner5 and the interior 'of the hood whenever-desired by the use of the cables 23 and 24 running over the pulleys 25 and 26 and attached to the hood at the point 27 and 28 as shown inFig. 1. F urupright rests,

thermore, it will be noted that the cylinder 2 is provided with a door 29 covering an opening 30 which permits access to be had to the valve 6, as also to the interior of the cylinder 2, and in this way the gas can be turned on or off and repairs made to the interior of the device.

In the use of a hover of this kind the little chicks or birds sometimes have a tendency to flock toward the outer edges where there are cold drafts and where the chicks would not be as favorably situated, but might be injured by the drafts and other untoward influences, and, hence, I provide the platform 3 with a number of lights, say for example, four, consisting of isinglass or transparent plates 31 covering openings 32 in the platform 3. These transparent plates allow the light to shine through sufficiently to attract the attention of the chicks. Hence the chicks do not collect at the outer edges of the hover wherethey are injured by the cold drafts, but run freely about in themtire space around the cylinder 2 and beneath the platform 3 and the flange 9.

Many changes may be made in the precise construction and combination of the. various parts; therefore, I do not wish to be restricted to what I have delineated and described, but claim the liberty of making such modifications as are required in practice.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In ahover or brooder, the combination of an upright hollow support, heating means within the same, a horizontal platform resting removably on said upright at a substantial distance above the surface on which the said platform being provided with an encircling flange around its periphery which forms a part of the wall of the cal tubes extending its lower. periphery to the outer edge of the platform and having an opening at the apex of the cone, said hood being provided with vertical air pipesextending downwardly from the top into the upright support alongside of the heating means, a thermostat applianc'e under the platform and between the upright and the outer encircling flange, and a valve at the top opening of the hood, together with connections between the thermostat and said valve whereby the thermostat actuates the valve as'the temperature of the brooder chamber varies.

2. The combination of an upright cylinder, a platform resting loosely thereon and having a central opening corresponding to the upper end of the cylinder and having also an encircling flange at its outer periphcry, a conical hood secured to the platform at its outer edge and provided with a central opening at its apex and with parallel vertidownwardly into the lower cylinder from a point contiguous to the top central opening, a conical cover for the latter opening, a thermostat supported below the platform and inside of the encircling flange, thermostat and the conical cover, and heating means within the cylinder and hood, and transparent means at various points in the platform for allowing the light over the platform to illuminate the space below it wherein the chicks move about.

- 3. The combination of an upright hollow member forming a support and having a door. heatingnieans therein, a platform resting loosely upon the topof said supporting member and provided with a series of transparent plates to enable a passage of light to the chicks and having also an encircling flange, a conical hood secured to the outer edge of the platform and having a central top opening, and means for admitting air from the top of the hood into the chamber within the same, a conical cover for said top opening, a temperature control device which seats and unseats said cover as the temperature varies, means for lifting the hood and platform as a unit above lower support to allow entrance into the latter, all substantially as described.

In testimony'whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN F. MAcKAY.

lever connections between said 

